Khatron Ke Khiladi 3 in, two dailies out

Starting Monday, September 6, Khatron Ke Khiladi Tiguna (KKK 3) will displace two prime dailies on Colors. Bairi Piya produced by Ekta Kapoor for the 8.30 pm slot and Yeh Pyaar Na Hoga Kam produced by Dheeraj Kumar for the 9 pm slot, have been given marching orders. Paresh Rawal’s production, Laagi Tujhse Lagan, currently in the 9.30 pm slot, will be shifted to the 8.30 pm slot to vacate the 9 pm to 10 pm slot for Priyanka Chopra’s TV debut, KKK 3.

According to Ashwini Yardi, programming head of Colors, the channel pulled the plug on the shows because their storylines had come to their logical conclusions. “In fact, Bairi Piya’s story had come to an end a while ago. The shows had pretty decent ratings but we needed the 9 pm slot vacant and the rest of the menu was already full,” she adds.

The channel informed the producers in advance about their shows being axed. “It was extremely amicable,” says Yardi. “Ekta and Dheeraj agreed with the channel’s call. Laagi Tujhse Lagan has been delivering excellently. So, the change in its time slot will not affect its following,” says Yardi.

Except in the first season when it ran from 10 pm to 11 pm, Khatron Ke Khiladi has occupied the 9 pm slot. Buzz is that most men will appear on the show bare-bodied this season. Wouldn’t that irk off conservative groups among the audience? “No way. The men are fully clothed during all the stunts. But you will find them bare-bodied during the water-based stunts because they can’t logically be fully dressed there,” reasons Yardi.

“Even the women in the first two seasons wore swimming costumes for the water-based stunts. We moved the show to the 9 pm slot only because kids also follow it. So, being a family channel, we will never promote Unsuitable content.”

Shows shown the doorYeh Pyaar Na Hoga Kam, which averaged at two points and Bairi Piya that averaged at 2.3 points this week, have been axed. Producer Dheeraj Kumar, whose company Creative Eye produced the show Yeh Pyaar Na Hoga Kam for Colors, with Gaurav Khanna and Yami Gautam in the lead, says that his team was in the know about the development.

“The Colors programming team informed us about our show’s exit well in advance so that we could be prepared with a clear climax,” says Kumar. Kumar says the show, which flagged off in December 2009 alongside Paresh Rawal’s Lagi Tujhse Lagan, has done exceptionally well given the current standards of shows on competing channels.

“My show lasted more than six-eight months. That’s a big deal, because these days, there’s no guarantee that a channel will will run a show beyond two months. In my case, the show delivered consistently decent ratings throughout its run,” says Kumar. “Any producer whose show is pulled off air feels a pinch for his baby but I have a reason to be happy. My show will culminate and not end abruptly. Every channel has a right to make decisions for its overall benefit. So why crib?”

Bairi Piya, produced by Balaji Telefilms, with Sharad Kelkar and a newcomer in the lead, will also conclude next week.